Thermodynamic decoupling in the deep-strong coupling regime

Abstract: In the deep-strong coupling (DSC) regime, the interaction between light and matter exceeds their bare frequencies, leading to an effective decoupling. Theoretical and experimental evidence for this behavior has relied solely on measurements of local observables at equilibrium. However, such a local approach is insufficient to accurately describe energy fluxes in critical and nonequilibrium phenomena. Here, we use a two-terminal quantum junction to derive a thermodynamically consistent global master equation. We demonstrate that the associated heat current, a key nonlocal observable in any quantum thermal machine, also approaches zero in this extreme coupling scenario, underscoring the role of virtual photons in the vacuum ground state. Our results indicate that the decoupling is a more general feature of the DSC regime, with implications for quantum thermotronics.